Brahms Pag vars OR Schumann Etudes symph??

SDC Legendz Repertoire
1

help moi decide 8)

(i’ll only play book 1 of the brahms)

2

Schumann

3

Schumann.

4

I just listened to both with the score, man Brahms just overdid it.

5

Schumann

6

i concur, and even if you chose Brahms, Bk2 is better than Bk 1.

7

Schumann, or Book TWO of the Brahms.

8

Play 'em both.

9

Overall, Schumann.
But I will say that the Brahms Bk.1 is a blast to play. I haven’t learned Bk.2 or the Schuman vars.

10

only retardz liztn 2 othaz 'pinionz

11

After extensively trying to read through both, I’m gonna try doing both, heh. Schumann is just SO painfully beautiful that I can not not play it, and Brahms is just fucking awesome to play. Makes all the hours of Dohnanyi, Joseffy, Hanon and Ganz feel worthwhile.

So yeah, let’s hope I don’t kill my hands :lib:

12

For da Brahms Paganini Variations, I’d suggest using Weiner ‘Urtext’, the edition is helpful, or at least to me it is.

Good on you for learning both.

13

Thanks, I was just looking which edition to get, and I was gonna ask if the Wiener was any good :slight_smile:

14

I am not as familiar with classical pieces as you all, but I always preferred Book I, he has some very inventive harmonies there…A pianist, I forget his name…he mixed both books together, I prefer that version.

15

The Schumann is sooo relentless! It’s frigin tiring and never let’s up (except for the penultimate). Try to include some of the posth ones, it breaks it up and there’s some gorgeous vars in there.

16

yes the posthumous are great. The only thing is working out the order to put them in, and where.

17

Encores.

18

or reference Cortot’s recording. The 50’s one is the splashiest/clumsiest thing I’ve ever heard, yet there’s some absolutely stunning playing!

19

Cortot blends in the posth. quite nicely. The momentum of the work makes more sense if you listen to it the way Schumann published it, but putting in the posth gives some breathing space. Not only for the performer but also for the audience. IMO if you really play it as it’s written it’s a big and mostly exhausting piece of music. As I said, not only to play but also to listen to. Almost all of it is loud, big and louder (of course I know there’s more to it than that). If you don’t play the posth you need to make some sacrifices I believe.

As for the Brahms, book II is more interesting, musically. And also it’s more varied in technique. Book I has 2 or 3 variations that are very alike. But II is SO fucking hard. To me book I is still playable at least :slight_smile:

20

Jacomendations:

Schumann Symphonic Etudes
Richter or Moiseiwitsch

Brahms-Paganini
Petri or Backhaus